Embarcation - we arrived at the terminal about 2pm, the latest ever, and were surprised how quickly we were processed, onboard and being handed a glass of sparkling wine. Our room was ready and we dropped off our carry ons and filled the safe with passports, valuables and turned-off cell phones. We then left our 8th floor, starboard and far forward cabin for the Oceanview Café and a snack and to try out our Classic Beverage Cards. We returned to our cabin about 4pm and our luggage was waiting in the hall which allowed us to unpack and organize before dinner. Overall grade is A-, the only negative being the amount of walking required to board.

Lounges – of course there are many bars and a couple of lounges. Since a lounge was our first experience with bar staff I will rate them before dining. The Rendez-vous is a large lounge mid-ship on deck 4 with a dance floor and live entertainment. Scores high. The Constellation Lounge on deck 11 has an almost panoramic view over the ship’s bow and includes a dance floor and, on selected nights, live entertainment. We visited the Wine Bar, Martini Bar (wife’s favorite), Mast Bar, Casino Bar (gets very warm), Sunset Bar (my favorite) and the Pool Bar (on port side where smoking is permitted). On day 9 we upgraded my wife’s Classic Beverage card to Premium, at a cost of $10/day + 15%, so she was able to enjoy the exotic drinks throughout the ship for the remainder of the cruise. Lounges and Bars rate from B to C.

Dining – the Oceanview Café is the 10th floor buffet and is open 18 hours a day. Overall assessment is it is poorly laid out. There doesn’t seem to be much organization in the way the food is grouped and it was not always identified and they frequently ran out of staples like bananas, pineapple, yogurt, etc. I never did find where they hid the smoked salmon. The breakfast was good. Never went there for lunch or dinner. Grade C. Read more